Morning Show Blog

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert may be divorced, but they're still on speaking terms. Blake and Miranda used Twitter to communicate on Friday (7/24), touting the release of their mutual friend Ashley Monroe's new album, The Blade. Blake initiated the contact, tweeting, "Hey @mirandalambert can u believe there's people who haven't bought @ashleymonroe new album? Isn't that shocking?!!" Miranda soon responded by saying, "@blakeshelton no I can't because it is the best work she has ever done! I love it! We love you @ashleymonroe." Blake then tweeted in agreement, "Yes we do!!" But the exchange between Lambert and Shelton wasn't over yet. Miranda soon returned to Twitter and posted a picture from Entertainment Tonight that showed Blake walking a baby stroller. In the caption for the photo, Miranda said, "@blakeshelton I knew it.... You WERE pregnant! This calls for a drink!"

HUNTER REACTS TO LOUISIANA SHOOTING – HUNTER HAYES

Hunter Hayes' home state Louisiana is in his thoughts and prayers right now after a gunman opened fire in a Lafayette movie theater on Thursday night (7/23), killing two people and injuring nine others before taking his own life. The gunman opened fire at around 7:30 PM local time during a showing of the Amy Schumer comedy, Trainwreck. Hayes grew up just outside of Lafayette, and the news of the shooting hit very close to him. Hayes took to Twitter shortly after the shooting on Thursday night and said, "My heart is broken for my home community in Louisiana. Such a tragedy. Sending all the prayers and love to everyone back home!"

GARTH SHATTERS TICKET SALES RECORD – GARTH BROOKS

Tickets for Garth Brooks' first shows in Dallas in 17 years went on sale Friday (7/24) and sold more than 100,000 tickets before noon had even rolled around. The number of tickets sold at Garth's upcoming shows in Dallas shatters his previous sales record of 50,213 tickets that was set in February of 1998 at the city's Reunion Arena. Brooks will play a series of seven concerts in Dallas, which kick off on September 17 at the American Airlines Center. Following his first concert, Garth will play two shows on September 18 and two shows on September 19, followed by single shows on both September 20 and 22. Garth's upcoming concerts in The Metroplex are part of his world tour with Trisha Yearwood that's been setting ticket sales records across the country. As part of the tour, Brooks has recently played shows in New Orleans, Houston and Birmingham, Alabama.

RICE REVEALS MORE TOUR DETAILS – CHASE RICE

Last week, Chase Rice announced that he's launching his headlining "JD and Jesus Tour 2015" this fall, and now the singer is revealing more details about his upcoming trek. Rice has announced that the tour will kick off in Norfolk, Virginia, on October 1, making stops in major markets such as Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh, New York City and more. Special guests The Cadillac Three will join Chase for select shows on the tour, which wraps up in Phoenix on December 3. This will be Rice's third headlining tour, following his widely successful "2014 Ignite The Night Tour" and "Live Nation's Ones To Watch: Ready Set Roll Tour" in 2013.

On Wednesday night (7/22), Miranda Lambert made her first public appearance since the news broke of her and Blake Shelton's divorce. Lambert joined her good friend Ashley Monroe onstage to perform during a special listening party at The Basement in Nashville that was held to celebrate the release of Ashley's new album, The Blade. Lambert and Monroe took the stage during the encore and performed Miranda's 2011 single "Heart Like Mine," a song the two actually co-wrote together. Ashley's album The Blade features Miranda's harmony vocals on its title track and also includes a song titled "I'm Good at Leavin,'" which Lambert and Monroe wrote together. The Blade hits store shelves today (7/24). Watch the video here.

A MILESTONE OPRY PERFORMANCE – CRAIG MORGAN
Playing the Grand Ole Opry once is an honor for any artist, so Craig Morgan's milestone 200th Opry appearance on Tuesday night (7/21) was surely a special moment. In front of a packed house, Morgan honored the occasion by performing some of his most well-known hits like "That's What I Love About Sunday" and "Redneck Yacht Club," as well as a brand new song called "Country Side of Heaven." Craig is also set to celebrate his 7th anniversary as an Opry member this fall. Morgan took to Twitter to post pictures from his milestone appearance. The first picture shows Craig spending some time backstage at and the second picture shows him standing in the Opry Circle performing. Morgan was officially inducted as an Opry member on October 25, 2008.

CASEY AND SONY PART WAYS – CASEY JAMES
Casey James and Sony Music Nashville have parted ways "amicably," according to Nashville Edge. A spokesperson for the label tells the publication that Casey and Sony went their separate ways in early June. In 2010, it was announced that James had signed with Sony's BNA Records, the imprint that his self-titled debut album was released on in March of 2012. Later that year, Casey was moved to Sony's Columbia Nashville after the BNA name was retired and his second single "Crying on a Suitcase" was released on the label in June of that year. In March of this year, Casey released his fourth overall single, "Fall Apart," to country radio. The song marked the first single off of James' forthcoming sophomore album, although there's no word on if and when that record will be released. Casey first gained fame as a contestant on Season 9 of American Idol, where he made it to the show's Top 3 before being eliminated.

DID "THE VOICE" BREAK UP BLAKE SHELTON AND MIRANDA LAMBERT'S MARRIAGE?
Another day, another reason why MIRANDA LAMBERT and BLAKE SHELTON got divorced. This one actually seems reasonable. According to TMZ, Blake spent way too much time working on "The Voice", but almost no time working on his marriage. He had to be in Hollywood for eight months a year, and even though Miranda "hates" L.A., she would visit, even if for just a day. But he never got off his backside to do the same for her. No quick trips to wherever she was performing . . . or even to their place in Oklahoma. She felt so abandoned she finally gave up.

Brantley Gilbert made a surprise phone call to a Chattanooga radio station on Monday (7/20) and revealed that he's planning a benefit concert for the families of the four U.S. Marines and one U.S. Navy sailor who were killed when a gunman opened fire on two military installations in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on July 16. Brantley told the station that he had tears in his eyes when he heard the news of the shootings and went on to say, "I want to do everything I can to see if I can just reach out and help these families a little bit." Gilbert then said that he's spoken with his management about planning a "full-blown" benefit concert. No date has been set for the show yet. Brantley has always been a big supporter of military members, veterans and their families.

YOUNG ISN'T INVOLVED – CHRIS YOUNG

Chris Young has taken to Twitter to say once and for all he's never had an affair with Miranda Lambert that might've led to her divorce from Blake Shelton. TMZ cites multiple sources that said Blake was suspicious of Miranda having an affair with Young, but Chris is setting the record straight and says those rumors are completely untrue. Young posted yesterday, "I don't normally address gossip but in this case I will. My name has been mentioned as a contributing factor in Blake and Miranda's divorce. That is totally FALSE. They are both my friends and I would not betray that friendship. Just wanted to clear that up."

BUY CHRIS A BUS – CHRIS JANSON

Forget about buying a boat with a truck to pull it; Chris Janson recently found himself without a bus to take him to his next concert. It all started back in late June when Chris, along with his wife, kids, band and road crew all showed up at Country Fest in Cadott, Wisconsin, without a tour bus. Janson found himself in a predicament because he had a performance scheduled the next day in Brainerd, Minnesota, – more than 200 miles away – and had no way of getting there. Janson had to think on his feet and ended up renting a U-Haul truck and a car to get everyone to the next tour stop. With Janson behind the wheel, he, his family, the band and crew moved on to join "Toby Keith's Good Times & Pick Up Lines Tour" at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Detroit. Chris has since found a new bus and continues to make stops across the country on Toby's tour. Aside from touring, Chris continues to make his way up the chart with the Top 15 single "Buy Me a Boat," which has already sold more than 360,000 copies to date.

CLINT HAS NEW MUSIC ON THE WAY– CLINT BLACK
Clint Black is working on his first new album in nearly a decade. Black has signed a record deal with Nashville-based entertainment company Thirty Tigers and is expected to release his yet-to-be-titled new album this fall. The highly anticipated release will mark Black's first project of all new music in seven years, following the release of 2008's The Long Cool EP. Black's latest release was a Cracker Barrel-exclusive album titled When I Said I Do, which featured re-recorded versions of some of his biggest hits as well as three new songs. The Cracker Barrel album was released in August of 2013.

After years of laughing off rumors of marital troubles, BLAKE SHELTON and MIRANDA LAMBERT have divorced. Blake filed the papers a couple weeks ago and it was finalized yesterday. Word is that it was due to busy schedules and trust issues and that he’ll get the ranch in Oklahoma and she’ll take the family home in Nashville. They issued a statement saying, "This is not the future we envisioned. And it is with heavy hearts that we move forward separately. We are real people, with real lives, with real families, friends and colleagues. Therefore, we kindly ask for privacy and compassion concerning this very personal matter." There were signs of trouble as Miranda broke down on stage Saturday at Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming when she sang The House that Built Me, which Blake had given to her. (See here) They said it was love at first sight when they met onstage during the CMT 100 Greatest Duets concert, where they performed "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma," even though Shelton was still married at the time. (See here)

ALDEAN TOPS THE CHART AGAIN – JASON ALDEAN
Jason Aldean has notched another chart-topper with his current single, "Tonight Looks Good On You." The song sits atop both the Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase radio charts this week, becoming Aldean's 16th career #1 song. "Tonight Looks Good On You" also becomes the 3rd consecutive #1 from Jason's Platinum certified album Old Boots, New Dirt, following "Burnin' It Down" and "Just Gettin' Started." Over the weekend, Aldean sold out Chicago's Amphitheater before he played two nights at Target Field in Minneapolis (7/18, 7/19), setting an impressive attendance record on Saturday with more than 44,000 fans. The party will continue this week when Jason and his "2015 Burn It Down Tour" head to the West Coast with even more to celebrate. Aldean will perform in Paso Robles, California, on Friday (7/24) and Pasadena, California, on Saturday (7/25), where he'll headline a historic first-ever country concert at the Rose Bowl.

LUKE CONTINUES STADIUM SELL-OUTS
Luke Bryan's "Kick The Dust Up Tour" continues to roll full force with no signs of slowing down. Over the weekend, Luke marked his eighth consecutive stadium concert sell-out with a tour stop at Cincinnati's Paul Brown Stadium. The Cincy sell-out came a week after Luke became the first country act to sell out Nashville's Vanderbilt Stadium with a show on July 11. The tour's momentum continues this week with a three-night stand at the Bank of NH Pavilion in Gilford, New Hampshire, followed by two nights in Indianapolis at the Klipsch Music Center on Friday (7/24) and Saturday (7/25). Bryan will then wrap up the weekend with a headlining performance at the Country Thunder Music Festival in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, on Sunday (7/26).

THE COWBOY RIDES AWAY ON DVD – GEORGE STRAIT
On August 28, 2015, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release the concert film George Strait – The Cowboy Rides Away: Live From AT&T Stadium on DVD and Digital Formats. The Cowboy Rides Away is an all-star musical production, featuring appearances by Jason Aldean, Ray Benson, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, and introducing George "Bubba" Strait, Jr. In 2014, Strait embarked on the second leg of his record-breaking two-year North American concert tour. The aptly titled 2014 "The Cowboy Rides Away Tour" was unique in that the tour featured a special guest on each weekend, so when it culminated in the year’s grand finale, filmed on June 7, 2014 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas in front of a North American indoor concert record-breaking 104,793 in attendance, it was only fitting that several of George’s friends joined for the celebration.

Blake Shelton took to Twitter last week to let his fans know he was going under the knife – I mean, laser – to get corrective surgery done on his eyes. Blake tweeted, "I'm getting LASIK surgery tomorrow... Why in gods name would I wait til I'm almost dead to get this done?!!!" Blake returned to Twitter on Friday (7/17) to let everyone know the surgery was a success, although he hinted that he might still be seeing double from all of his alcohol intake. Shelton tweeted, "Good news! I can see clearly!! AND Cheyenne I'm headed for you!!! Actually my vision may be a little blurred by the end of the night." Blake was in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on Friday night (7/17) to headline one of the nights at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo.

LUKE'S FAN APP – LUKE BRYAN

So, you like Luke Bryan? There's an app for that! Luke is launching his first ever fan app through mobile technology company Disciple Media on July 24. Bryan has more than 7 million Facebook fans and more than 4 million Twitter followers, and he sees the Disciple Media platform as the best way to get closer to those online fans. Some of the app's special features include real-time live streaming, exclusive video, audio and images, fan chats, special competitions and exclusive app-only merchandise. Through the app, Luke will also be offering fans a competition comprising of a "money can't buy" prize experience for one lucky fan.

TOBY'S ALBUM GETS A RELEASE DATE – TOBY KEITH

Toby Keith has announced that his forthcoming album 35 mph Town will be released on October 9. Toby teamed up with Bobby Pinson to produce the new album, which will feature several tracks co-penned by the recent Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee. The new album features Keith's social barrier busting lead single "Drunk Americans" as well as its current single and title track. Fans are hearing the new music on the "Toby Keith Good Times & Pick Up Lines Tour," which makes stops in Monticello, Iowa; Cheyenne, Wyoming; and Salt Lake City, Utah, this week. The tour also features special guests Chris Janson and Eli Young Band joining Keith for select dates.

STREAM ASHLEY'S FULL ALBUM – ASHLEY MONROE

Ashley Monroe has been releasing a steady stream of tracks from her forthcoming second Warner Bros. Records album, The Blade, and now she's letting fans listen to the full record before it hits store shelves this Friday (7/24). NPR has debuted music from The Blade as part of its "First Listen" feature ahead of the July 24 release date. The full album can be heard here. Ashley is the first Warner Music Nashville artist to appear on the influential "First Listen" program. Monroe will celebrate the release of her new album with an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on July 27 and will return to the road this summer on Little Big Town's tour. The next show on the tour is scheduled on July 31 in Delaware.